Drax is still the UK' s largest emitter

This report by Ember identifies Drax power station as the largest single source of carbon dioxide in the UK, noting that its emissions increased by 16% in 2024. The document analyzes the rankings of the UK's largest emitters, the impact of the 2024 coal power phase-out, and the role of public subsidies in sustaining biomass generation.

• Drax power station is the UK's largest carbon emitter, having held this position for 10 consecutive years. In 2024, it emitted 13.3 million tonnes of CO2e, which is more than the next four largest emitters combined and exceeds the combined emissions of the six most polluting gas power plants.
• Emissions from the Drax biomass power station rose by 16% in 2024. To generate 15 TWh of electricity that year, the plant burned 7.6 million tonnes of wood, 99% of which was imported.
• Drax is expected to remain the UK's largest emitter until 2030. Although the UK government announced in February 2025 that subsidies for biomass generators will be cut by approximately half for a four-year period starting in April 2027, Drax's emissions are significantly higher than the next largest operational emitter, Pembroke gas power station.
• The UK's coal power phase-out was completed in October 2024 with the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant in September 2024. This plant was previously the fifth largest emitter in 2023. Coal's share of UK generation fell from nearly 40% in 2012 to 0% by October 2024, largely replaced by wind and solar power.
• Port Talbot Steelworks remained the second largest emitter in the UK in 2024, producing 3.4 MtCO2e, despite ceasing operations on September 30, 2024, which led to a 40% drop in its annual emissions.
• Gas power plants represent the most frequent entries in the top 25 emitters list, accounting for 13 of the 25. However, UK gas generation reached a 25-year low in 2024, falling to 84 TWh (30% of total generation) due to increased zero-carbon power and imports from Europe.
• Progress on carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) has been slow. The UK government has admitted that its target of 20-30 MtCO2e/year of carbon capture by 2030 is unachievable. Currently, three emitters in the HyNet cluster—Padeswood Cement Works, Buxton Lime works, and the Viridor Runcorn energy-from-waste plant—are identified as part of Track 1 CCUS clusters.
• Lynemouth biomass power station became the 12th largest emitting facility in the UK, emitting approximately 1.7 MtCO2e. Its emissions increased in 2024 due to higher generation supported by a publicly funded Contract for Difference subsidy.

APA

Mayo, F. (2025). Drax is still the UK' s largest emitter. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/Drax-is-still-the-UKs-largest-emitter.pdf

Chicago

Mayo, Frankie. Drax is still the UK' s largest emitter. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/Drax-is-still-the-UKs-largest-emitter.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mayo |first1=Frankie |title=Drax is still the UK' s largest emitter |publisher=Ember |date=17 July 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/Drax-is-still-the-UKs-largest-emitter.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mayo2025drax, author = {Mayo, Frankie}, title = {{Drax is still the UK' s largest emitter}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/Drax-is-still-the-UKs-largest-emitter.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }